Editing Tranmere Rovers F.C. (section)

===2000 and beyond===

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In the 1999–2000 season, despite severe financial constraints,{{failed verification|reason=nothing on this in FA Cup database.|date=February 2024}} victories over two Premiership sides (West Ham United, Sunderland, followed by First Division club Fulham) led, not only to a place in the sixth round of the FA Cup,<ref name="FA Cup Archive" /> but also, to a place in the [[2000 Football League Cup final]] against [[Leicester City]]&nbsp;– the first time in the club's history that Rovers had reached a major final.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=League Cup database does not state 'first time in the club's history that Rovers had reached a major final'.}} [[Matt Elliott (footballer)|Matt Elliott]] scored Leicester's opening goal, before Tranmere's [[Clint Hill (footballer)|Clint Hill]] was sent off for a second bookable offence. Despite being reduced to ten men, [[David Kelly (association footballer)|David Kelly]] equalised; however, Elliot scored Leicester's second goal three minutes later, and Tranmere lost the match 2–1.<ref name="league cup 2000" /> This was the last League Cup game held at the [[Wembley Stadium (1923)|original Wembley stadium]].<ref name="TheCowsheds History" />

In 2000, the all-white kit was reintroduced and is still used in 2014.{{relevance inline|date=January 2024|reason='is'? 2014 was 10 years ago.}}{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=misleading. kit appears to have had blue in it until 2002? and after that (2009?) nearly as much blue as 1997.}}<ref name="historicalkits" /> That season, Tranmere Rovers had another cup competition run, beating local Premier League rival [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] 3–0 at [[Goodison Park]],<ref name="Tranmere shame Everton" /> then [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]] 4–3 (after being 0–3 down),<ref name="Tranmere comeback stuns Saints" /> before exiting after a loss to another local rival, Premier League club [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]].<ref name="Liverpool cling on to beat Tranmere" /> However, Tranmere Rovers struggled during league matches that season; Aldridge quit as manager before Tranmere's relegation to Division Two ended a spell of ten years in Division One.{{additional citation needed|date=February 2024|reason=source is for Aldridge quitting. if it happened later then Tranmere's relegation and that it 'ended a spell of ten years in Division 1' needs separate verification.}}<ref name="Aldridge walks out on Rovers" />
[[File:Trfc v sufc 2013 IJA 02.png|thumb|left|350px|Tranmere Rovers v [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] in the [[2012–13 Football League One|2012–13 season]]]]
The club hired [[Brian Little (footballer)|Brian Little]] as manager in 2003.<ref name="managers" /><ref name="Tranmere appoint Little" /> He took Rovers to a play-off semi-final in 2004–05, and a best ever 6th round replay in the 2004 FA Cup, where they lost to eventual finalists, [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]].{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=nothing about any of this in the 2 sources at the end. 2004 FA Cup as 'best ever', Millwall as 'eventual finalists', etc.}} At the end of the 2005–06 season, Little left the club and was replaced by former player [[Ronnie Moore]].<ref name="managers" /><ref name="Moore appointed as Tranmere boss" /> In Moore's three seasons in charge, the club finished 9th, 11th and 7th, narrowly missing out on qualification for in the play-offs in his final season.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=dead link. archive link does not appear to work.}}<ref name="football league" /> Moore was sacked in 2009, with former England winger [[John Barnes (footballer)|John Barnes]], whose only previous domestic managerial experience was with [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] 10 years earlier, replacing him.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=misleading. if anything, joining direct from coaching Jamaica needs explaining. 'only previous domestic managerial experience' is not in this source.}}<ref name="managers" /><ref name="Barnes confirmed as Tranmere boss" /> It was during Barnes's time as manager that long-serving kitman, Mark Trevor, ended his 12-year "Labour of Love", washing the kit of his local team. Having been at the club since 1997, he washed his last kit in August 2009, ahead of the club's home game against [[Charlton Athletic]].<ref name="Trevors final wash" /> Barnes's term as manager lasted considerably less time, and it was a five months before long-serving club [[physiotherapist]] [[Les Parry]] was given temporary charge.<ref name="managers" /><ref name="Tranmere sack Barnes and McAteer" /><ref name="Les Parry Extends Contract as Manager" /> Rovers finished the season in 19th place in League One, avoiding relegation on the final day of the season, thanks to a 3–0 victory at Stockport County.<ref name="Stockport 0 - 3 Tranmere" /> In June 2010, Parry was given the manager's job on a permanent basis.<ref name="Les Parry Extends Contract as Manager" /> He was sacked on 4 March 2012, after a 1–0 defeat by Chesterfield left the club only one point above the relegation zone,<ref name="Tranmere Rovers sack manager Les Parry"/> and replaced by Ronnie Moore for the remainder of the season.<ref name="Club Statement" /> Moore won six of his thirteen games in charge at the end of the season, guiding Tranmere to a mid-table position, as they finished the season in the top half for the first time in several{{quantify|date=February 2024}} years.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=league table does not verify statements like 'won six of his thirteen games in charge at the end of the season' and 'finished the season in the top half for the first time in several years'.}}<ref name="Tranmere 2011/12 Results"/> In April 2012, Moore signed a new one-year deal with Tranmere, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2012–13 season.<ref name="Moore extends contract" />

Towards the end of the 2013–14 season, Moore admitted breaking the Football Association's betting rules, and Tranmere sacked him when the club were just clear of the relegation zone.{{close paraphrasing inline|date=February 2024|reason=compare: 'Tranmere have sacked manager Ronnie Moore after he admitted breaking the Football Association's betting rules'.}}<ref name="Tranmere Rovers sack manager after betting breach" /> Assistant John McMahon took over as caretaker manager,{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=not in next source.}} but Tranmere were relegated to League Two in the final gameof the season on the final day of the season.<ref name="Tranmere Rovers 1-2 Bradford City" /> [[Robert Edwards (footballer born 1973)|Rob Edwards]] was subsequently appointed as new manager.<ref name="Rob Edwards appointed as new manager" />

On 11 August 2014, it was announced that former player and [[Football Association]] chief executive [[Mark Palios]] and his wife Nicola were taking a controlling interest in the club from outgoing chairman Peter Johnson. Mark Palios would become executive chairman of the club, with Johnson becoming its honorary president.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28738487  "Mark Palios: Tranmere taken over by ex-FA chief and wife", BBC News, 11 August 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108000406/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28738487 |date=8 January 2015 }}. retrieved 11 August 2014</ref><ref>[http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/article/new-owners-110814-1818957.aspx  "Tranmere Rovers Football Club Delighted To Announce New Owners", TRFC, 11 August 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205336/http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/news/article/new-owners-110814-1818957.aspx |date=12 August 2014 }}. Retrieved 11 August 2014</ref>

After a poor start to the season, the home loss to [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] on 11 October 2014 saw Tranmere in last place in the Football League for the first time since 27 August 1987 after they had lost their first two matches of that season.{{failed verification|date=February 2024|reason=the only part of this verified is that Tranmere Rovers were in last place on 27 August 1987. does not show it was the first time since then. does not mention the game with Plymouth Argyle. or 'poor start to the season'. or anything else from 2014.}}<ref>[http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/tournament/points.html?date=1987-08-27;event=12;season=1987%2F88  "Football League Division Four /1987/88 /points table", ESPN.co.uk ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022174212/http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/tournament/points.html?date=1987-08-27;event=12;season=1987%2F88 |date=22 October 2014 }}. retrieved 18 October 2014</ref> Edwards was sacked as manager on 13 October.<ref name="edwards sacked">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29599237|title=Rob Edwards: Tranmere Rovers sack manager after five months|date=13 October 2014|access-date=29 December 2016|work=BBC Sport|archive-date=1 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201055820/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29599237|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Mickey Adams]] took over a week later, with the aim of saving the club from relegation to the [[Football Conference|Conference]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} However, on 25 April 2015, after another defeat to Plymouth Argyle in the reverse fixture, Tranmere were relegated, ending their 94-year stay in the [[English Football League|Football League]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32362789  "Plymouth 3–2 Tranmere", BBC Sport, 25 April 2015] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616123739/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32362789 |date=16 June 2015 }}. Retrieved 25 April 2015</ref>